San Diego Rules Committee Meeting - February 17, 2021

On February 17, 2021, the San Diego City Council Rules Committee met virtually via Zoom, in accordance with Executive Order 29-20 suspending certain Brown Act requirements. The meeting was televised and live-streamed, with public comment allowed via Zoom. The committee approved prior actions, heard public comment, and discussed two agenda items: a corporate partnership agreement for the Get It Done app and a presentation from the Funds Commission.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Committee Actions (January 20, 2021): Moved by Vice Chair Campillo, seconded by Councilmember Whitburn. Passed unanimously (5-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Non-Agenda Public Comment:
  • Becky Raff (mother of three teens, youth group mentor) urged the committee to consider amending rules regarding marijuana businesses to include minor decoy operations by the San Diego Police Department, citing concerns about underage access to high-THC products and delivery services.
  • Joy Sanyata (District 3) announced an online survey from the San Diego Public Library and Foundation to update the library master plan (last updated in 2002), available through April 17, 2021, in seven languages. She encouraged public participation.
• Item 1 Public Comment:
  • Joy Sanyata spoke in strong support of the Get It Done partnership, calling it "revolutionary" and encouraging the committee to continue developing the app.
• Item 2 Public Comment: No speakers.

Discussion Items

• Item 1: Corporate Partnership Agreement with Deloitte Consulting LLP – Official Get It Done Marketing Partner

  • Staff from Performance and Analytics (PANDA), IT, and Economic Development presented. Key updates:
    • The Get It Done mobile app has been downloaded over 125,000 times, receiving about 1,000 reports per day.
    • Upcoming upgrades include a new user interface, onboarding process, machine learning category suggestion, improved map functionality, and a Spanish-language version (translated locally, with automatic back-end translation for staff).
    • The city will license the proprietary software to Deloitte, who will market and sell it to other cities. The agreement is for three years with optional renewal; 100% of royalties (projected $50,000 to $1.15 million) go to the city at no cost.
    • Committee members expressed strong support, praising the revenue potential, language accessibility, and innovation. Councilmember Kate raised a question about ensuring revenue stays within the department to offset maintenance costs; staff indicated that revenue would flow to the general fund but they intend to use it for maintenance.
  • Motion to recommend to full council by Councilmember Whitburn, seconded by Councilmember Von Wilpert. Passed unanimously (5-0).

• Item 2: Presentation from the Funds Commission (Council Policy 000-26) – Informational Only

  • City Treasurer Liz Trayam, Funds Commission Chair David Tam, and investment managers from Northern Trust and Millman Advisors presented an overview of seven trust funds under the commission’s supervision, including the Mount Hope Cemetery Perpetuity Fund, library funds, and the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve Fund.
  • Performance details: The cemetery fund (65% bonds, 35% stocks) returned 4.93% in 2020, underperforming its policy index (11.58%) due to the exclusion of non-dividend-paying stocks. The other six funds, with a 65/35 stock/bond allocation, returned over 13% in 2020 and about 10% annually over five years.
  • Committee members asked about:
    • The possibility of amending the city charter to allow more flexibility for the cemetery fund (staff noted it would be costly).
    • Encouraging legacy gifts to the city (staff agreed to collaborate on outreach).
    • Breakdowns of fund usage for the Los Peñasquitos and Gladys Edna Peters funds (staff committed to providing formal responses).
    • Whether the funds require general fund subsidies (some do, such as the cemetery fund averaging $575,000 annually, and occasionally the Los Peñasquitos fund).
  • No vote was taken; the item was informational.

Key Outcomes

• Item 1: Unanimous vote (5-0) to recommend the corporate partnership agreement with Deloitte Consulting LLP to the full City Council. Staff will provide a line item for departmental revenue tracking.
• Item 2: No formal action. Staff will provide written responses to councilmember questions about fund usage and legacy gift promotion.
• Next Meeting: The next Rules Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.